03:21Residents of Chisinau, Gagauzia, and Transnistria shared their views on the recent referendum regarding EU integration on Monday.
Anastasia, a resident of Gagauzia, observed that public opinion is divided into two distinct groups: those in favour of EU accession and those opposed to it.
"As I see the situation, our society is now split into two camps: those who are in favour of the European Union and those who are against the European Union. In my opinion, the ordinary people who live in Moldova are against all this, and certain interested persons are in favour of it," she said.
Olga, a resident of Tiraspol, criticised the voting conditions in Transnistria during the referendum, saying that many, who were willing to vote, could not.
"[They also] wanted to vote, but they couldn't because there were two polling stations. If we're going to have a referendum, we have to do it fairly instead of the way it was. We all see how unfair it was," - Olga added.
Meanwhile, Elena, like many of Chisinau residents, expressed her support for a 'European future.'
"We are for a European future. We see a democratic prosperous future ahead, united people with rights and freedoms and respect for them. We are 100 percent in favour of accession and look forward to it," she added.
The first round of the presidential election, along with the referendum on constitutional changes allowing for EU membership, took place at 1,987 polling stations in Moldova and 231 polling stations across 37 countries.
Eleven candidates, including incumbent Maia Sandu, contested the presidency. In the referendum, citizens were asked: "Do you support changing the constitution to permit Moldova's accession to the European Union?"
According to the Moldovan Central Election Commission (CEC), voter turnout was 51.68 percent. After counting all ballots, Sandu led with 42.45 percent of the vote, followed by the former prosecutor general Alexandru Stoianoglo at 25.98 percent. The referendum results indicated that 50.39 percent favoured the constitutional change, while 49.61 percent opposed it.
The CEC announced that a second round of the presidential election will be held on November 3, as no candidate secured more than 50 percent of the vote.
Moldova submitted its application for EU membership in March 2022, following the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and announced the commencement of accession talks last December.
'Our society is split, but ordinary people are against this!' - Residents of Chisinau, Gagauzia and Transnistria react as EU integration referendum narrowly passes
Residents of Chisinau, Gagauzia, and Transnistria shared their views on the recent referendum regarding EU integration on Monday.
Anastasia, a resident of Gagauzia, observed that public opinion is divided into two distinct groups: those in favour of EU accession and those opposed to it.
"As I see the situation, our society is now split into two camps: those who are in favour of the European Union and those who are against the European Union. In my opinion, the ordinary people who live in Moldova are against all this, and certain interested persons are in favour of it," she said.
Olga, a resident of Tiraspol, criticised the voting conditions in Transnistria during the referendum, saying that many, who were willing to vote, could not.
"[They also] wanted to vote, but they couldn't because there were two polling stations. If we're going to have a referendum, we have to do it fairly instead of the way it was. We all see how unfair it was," - Olga added.
Meanwhile, Elena, like many of Chisinau residents, expressed her support for a 'European future.'
"We are for a European future. We see a democratic prosperous future ahead, united people with rights and freedoms and respect for them. We are 100 percent in favour of accession and look forward to it," she added.
The first round of the presidential election, along with the referendum on constitutional changes allowing for EU membership, took place at 1,987 polling stations in Moldova and 231 polling stations across 37 countries.
Eleven candidates, including incumbent Maia Sandu, contested the presidency. In the referendum, citizens were asked: "Do you support changing the constitution to permit Moldova's accession to the European Union?"
According to the Moldovan Central Election Commission (CEC), voter turnout was 51.68 percent. After counting all ballots, Sandu led with 42.45 percent of the vote, followed by the former prosecutor general Alexandru Stoianoglo at 25.98 percent. The referendum results indicated that 50.39 percent favoured the constitutional change, while 49.61 percent opposed it.
The CEC announced that a second round of the presidential election will be held on November 3, as no candidate secured more than 50 percent of the vote.
Moldova submitted its application for EU membership in March 2022, following the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and announced the commencement of accession talks last December.
Residents of Chisinau, Gagauzia, and Transnistria shared their views on the recent referendum regarding EU integration on Monday.
Anastasia, a resident of Gagauzia, observed that public opinion is divided into two distinct groups: those in favour of EU accession and those opposed to it.
"As I see the situation, our society is now split into two camps: those who are in favour of the European Union and those who are against the European Union. In my opinion, the ordinary people who live in Moldova are against all this, and certain interested persons are in favour of it," she said.
Olga, a resident of Tiraspol, criticised the voting conditions in Transnistria during the referendum, saying that many, who were willing to vote, could not.
"[They also] wanted to vote, but they couldn't because there were two polling stations. If we're going to have a referendum, we have to do it fairly instead of the way it was. We all see how unfair it was," - Olga added.
Meanwhile, Elena, like many of Chisinau residents, expressed her support for a 'European future.'
"We are for a European future. We see a democratic prosperous future ahead, united people with rights and freedoms and respect for them. We are 100 percent in favour of accession and look forward to it," she added.
The first round of the presidential election, along with the referendum on constitutional changes allowing for EU membership, took place at 1,987 polling stations in Moldova and 231 polling stations across 37 countries.
Eleven candidates, including incumbent Maia Sandu, contested the presidency. In the referendum, citizens were asked: "Do you support changing the constitution to permit Moldova's accession to the European Union?"
According to the Moldovan Central Election Commission (CEC), voter turnout was 51.68 percent. After counting all ballots, Sandu led with 42.45 percent of the vote, followed by the former prosecutor general Alexandru Stoianoglo at 25.98 percent. The referendum results indicated that 50.39 percent favoured the constitutional change, while 49.61 percent opposed it.
The CEC announced that a second round of the presidential election will be held on November 3, as no candidate secured more than 50 percent of the vote.
Moldova submitted its application for EU membership in March 2022, following the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and announced the commencement of accession talks last December.